The Liberal Democrats have been accused of plotting to bring back freedom of movement on the quiet with demands that a ‘youth mobility scheme’ is expanded to people living in EU member states.
Sir Ed Davey’s party will vote at its annual conference this weekend on a proposal to extend the post-Brexit work visa programme that covers people from a dozen countries, including Canada, and Japan.
It also wants the visa period extended from two years to three, and the upper age limit, which varies between 30 and 35 depending on the country, set at 35 for all those taking part.
The Lib Dem Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Leila Moran will move the motion at the conference in Brighton on Saturday, where the party will gather to celebrate the most successful general election in its history. It now has 72 MPs.
It wants to bring about the change as part of its ‘commitment to fixing our broken relationship with Europe, including our longer-term objective of UK membership of the EU.’
Last month Labour denied it was interested in a reciprocal EU scheme after it was suggested it could form part of negotiations on a new closer relationship with Brussels.
A Tory source said: ‘Like a deranged ex-lover, the Lib Dems still haven’t got over the fact the UK voted to leave eight years ago. And just like Labour, they’ll find any way possible to get free movement in by the back door.
‘If the Liberal Democrats really wanted the best for Britain, they would spend less time trying to unpick Brexit and more time trying to realise its benefits.’
However, the Lib Dems hit back, pointing out that the visa would be time-limited to three years, rather than open-ended like the rules before Brexit.
It formed part of its election manifesto, which saw it take scores of Tory seats in the affluent South East two months ago.
People from 12 countries can currently apply to come to the UK on a two-year youth mobility visa.
But the criteria varies by country.
, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea: Between the ages of 18 and 35.
Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, Uruguay: Between the ages of 18 and 30.
Hong Kong (with a SAR passport), Taiwan: Between the ages of 18 and 30 via a ballot.
A spokesman said: ‘The Youth Mobility Scheme, which even the Conservatives championed in government, is already open to several countries, including in continents as far away as Asia and Australasia.
‘It is common sense to allow young Brits the chance to study and work in neighbouring countries too, in this capped scheme which only allows people to stay for a maximum of three years.
‘It is laughable to see the Conservatives already trashing their own government schemes. This shows they are not a serious political party.’
The idea of opening up the UK to young Europeans remains popular despite Brexit, including with Tory voters, polling suggests.
Sir Keir Starmer is said to have discussed a youth mobility proposal with Spanish Counterpart Pedro Sanchez when they met at the Blenheim Palace summit soon after the election.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that Sir Keir did not reject the proposal, made to him by Mr Sanchez, and that he would mull it over.
At the time Ms Moran said it would ‘give our young people fantastic opportunities to live and work across Europe, while also providing a much-needed boost to the UK economy – especially our hospitality sector’.
It came as it was revealed the number of people applying for UK skilled work visas jumped 22 per cent year-on-year despite Government efforts to cut legal migration levels.
But provisional Home Office figures also suggested sharp drops in the number of visa applications from overseas students as well as foreign care workers – prompting warnings universities could struggle with the consequences.
Restrictions gradually introduced by the former Conservative government since the start of the year amid pressure to cut the record number of people legally arriving in Britain include a ban on overseas care workers bringing family dependents and a hiked salary threshold for skilled workers to £38,700. The aim was to slash the number of people arriving in Britain by 300,000 a year.
Other reforms meant overseas students were stopped from bringing their family with them to the UK and made it harder for Britons earning under the national average to bring over foreign spouses.
According to PA news agency analysis of figures published on Thursday, the number of skilled worker visa applications for main applicants and dependents combined rose from 82,000 between January and August 2023 to 100,400 in the same period this year.
By contrast, the data suggests the overall number of applications to come to the UK on a health and care worker visa fell by more than half (61 per cent) in eight months of this year (99,100) compared with the equivalent period in 2023 (257,400).
The social care sector previously voiced concern about the effects of the Conservative government’s dependents ban, branding it ‘brutal’ and blaming the policy for cutting a ‘lifeline of overseas staff’.
There was also a significant drop in sponsored study visa numbers, with 294,200 applications for main applicants and dependents in January to August 2024, down 31 per cent from 427,400 in the same period last year.
August typically sees the highest number of student applications for the next academic year. For that month in 2024 there were 124,300 main applicants and dependents on applications, compared with 172,200 a year earlier.
Former home secretary James Cleverly, one of the candidates running to be Conservative Party leader, hailed the figures as proof measures he brought in while in post were working, adding: ‘When it comes to immigration it’s not enough to just talk tough, you have to deliver.’ But he did not mention the visa rises the figures also indicate.
Migration minister Seema Malhotra vowed Labour would ‘reduce net migration and equip the economy to start growing again’.
Accusing the Conservatives of ‘repeatedly’ breaking promises to cut immigration levels and former administrations of leaving ‘complete chaos for this new government to clean up’, she added: ‘The Labour government has begun work to bring net migration down.
‘We’ve commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review sectors reliant on high international recruitment. We’re working across government to link the immigration system with new training and workforce plans for British workers and stop rogue employers hiring from abroad.
‘That’s how we’ll reduce net migration and equip the economy to start growing again.’